All posts tagged: explore

There are places that have this yearning melancholy to it. Berlin has always been that place for me. And so I returned to the German capital to pack some of my last belongings when that feeling of melancholy is the strongest: in the crispy cold with small snow flakes falling down on the grey city. An also grey but incredibly cosy shelter from Berlin winter was my studio in Prenzlauer Berg. I arrived late at night at the airport, so I enjoyed falling into that supersoft bed just the more. The next day the temperature dropped to 0ºC and so a coffee and waffles at The Barn Coffee Roasters were overdue. Warmed up, I made my way to Kreuzberg to visit Markthalle Neun. I’ve always loved the regular food market here but now in December it got even better: it had turned into a Christmas food and hand-made gift market. The perfect place for my pre-Christmas trip! Over the Spree and through the heavy cold, I went further down to Friedrichshain to stroll the organic …

There is trips that involve meeting your new partner’s family and there’s trips that involve meeting your new partner’s family in Andalusia. I was lucky enough to go on the second one. Not that I choose my partners according to such criteria. I can’t deny the one or other advantage, though. So when the August sun stood the highest in Barcelona, I decided to head south to Córdoba and Granada – at 42ºC. You see the introduction to the family did come with some inconvenience, too. As I could not complain about any other detail than the heat though, I’m taking you with me to the magnificent south of Spain where siestas are long, food comfortingly heavy and conversations heated. The train took me from Barcelona to Córdoba in four and a half hours. With its white and yellow facades, beautiful architecture and candid people it reminded me much of Sevilla. Yet the city has so many Moorish influences, unique cuisine (Salmorejo! Flamenquines!) and tranquil vibes that it easily stands out. The Urban Vida Stays …

To tell you the truth I was a little afraid of travelling to Lisbon. Not because it’s a particularly scary kind of place. But because I considered moving to Barcelona or Lisbon last year without having been in either of the two cities before. As you know, I opted for Barcelona and feared I would fall head over heels for the Portuguese capital now. Let’s say I have a serious crush but my love for Barcelona remains incontestable. But now it’s time to focus on that little love affair with Lisbon for a few images and lines (sorry Barcelona!). I arrived in Lisbon late at night and headed straight to my lovely Airbnb. Bob Dylan over the bed, Woody Allen in the living room and beautiful views from anywhere in the apartment made this place the perfect basis for a weekender. As it was my birthday the next morning and I had only 1.5 days in the city, I decided to spend a very easy, laid-back city trip. I started strolling the streets of Bairro …

There are places you want to return to every time you step on your flight back home. Morocco has had this spell on me ever since I set foot in the country. So even though I have a trip to Fez coming up in October, I couldn’t pass on the opportunity to slot in a 4-day-holiday to Marrakech and Essaouira this June. It was my third time in Morocco and my second as a female solo-traveller. I am asked very often how it is to (solo-)travel Morocco, so instead of only sharing trillions of photos in this post (but don’t worry: I have managed to accommodate nearly 70 images nonetheless), I will also share some experiences and impressions for those of you who are specifically interested in these topics. With a taxi I travelled 3 hours from Marrakech Airport to Essaouira at the coast for a very fair amount of 600 dirham (approximately 60 Euros). I did not choose the Supratours bus on this day because my arrival did not exactly match the bus times, …

Back when I lived in Hamburg I used to have a love-hate-relationship with the city in the north of Germany. Returning for a weekend, I have fallen all over again for its harbour, the view out to the cranes at night, all those cafés I called my second home. Combining the weekend trip with a wedding to celebrate was the best reason to enjoy some carefree days in Hamburg. Coffee at elbgold, waffles at Salon Wechsel Dich, delving among books at stories! and finally a wedding in front of the harbour panorama made this stay just perfect. And waking up in classy Hotel Hafen Hamburg also had its part to play… After my traditional Sunday morning routine, breakfast at Kaffee Stark, it was time to fly black to Amsterdam – but with quite some wistfulness in my luggage.

When I first set foot on Utrecht some weeks ago I knew I would have to come back. Many more times. This time I didn’t exactly track down further hidden gems of the city but showed my parents around the spots I had already discovered last time. Muffled in the best summer weather, we walked the canal streets of my secret favourite city in the Netherlands (please don’t tell Amsterdam) and enjoyed the beautiful view of all those charming buildings. And as I love surrounding myself with greens, I always feel like walking a giant garden when passing by Utrecht’s back yards and house facades. Want to check out some of my favourite cafés, boutiques and places of Utrecht? Then head over to my little guide to Utrecht! Have a lovely Sunday afternoon! I enjoy some cups of coffee while scrolling through future travel destinations and looking out to the rainy sea…

Cooling down has come to be a real challenge in Amsterdam these days. But after months of tristesse on the little island I call my home, that very IJburg has smartened up the past few weeks. Dive into that freshening blue of Blijburg an Zee and discover the sunny and beachy side of the Netherland’s capital.

Moving to Amsterdam at the beginning of this year has had me explore some lovely parts of the Netherlands. And even though I’m thirsting for those big travels awaiting me at the end of July, I enjoy discovering my current adopted country so much as well. After going to Utrecht last week, it was – after so many recommendations and romanticization – time to go to see Haarlem, a late medieval city some 15 minutes away from busy Amsterdam. It’s funny that cities like Utrecht or Haarlem are only slightly smaller than Amsterdam. Still they exude this cozy small town charm. Little colourful town houses, lovely boutiques, idyllic landscapes and unruffled people. Speaking of boutiques: Ironically it has been in Utrecht and now Haarlem that I stumbled upon the cutest shops. I’m sure they’re out there in Amsterdam as well, but imagine hundreds of Amsterdamers plus two hundred tourists squashing in front of one slender mirror. There you go. kloffie in Haarlem turned out to be a true gem storing pieces by Minimum, Nümph and others. I …

This post has been long in coming. NDSM Wharf in Amsterdam-Noord has always been my favourite part of the city. This is why I’m inviting you to accompany me there today. Amsterdam is known for its beautiful canals and idyllic old buildings but I must admit I could easily exchange this part of town with the industrial wharf you reach by a ferry from Amsterdam Centraal at no charge. Even though this place is very popular particularly with the young citizens of Amsterdam, it never feels as crowded as the city centre. Coffee, food and further spots are located here but much less than in the areas across the water. So where to have coffee? Noorderlicht or pllek! They are both established within containers, which gives those places quite an edgy atmosphere. Noorderlicht is a bit hipstery with (seem to be) arrogant waiters. pllek is a little more relaxed, serves good food and decent coffee. A plus: the raised beach right in front of the water. One of the best things about this neighbourhood is …